GUNTUR: A robbery attempt on the Visakha Express was foiled by the alert escort police, who opened fire in the air to scare away a gang near Tummalacheruvu village in Palnadu district in the early hours of Sunday.
According to the Railway Police, two unidentified miscreants pulled the alarm chain around 3.30 am, bringing the train to an unscheduled halt. When the escort police personnel got down from the train to look into the cause, the gang hurled stones at them, and fled into the nearby fields.
In response, the police fired five rounds with a 9 mm pistol, and four with a 303 rifle in the air to scare away the gang. The train resumed its journey after a 10-minute halt, Guntur Railway DSP P Akkeshwara Rao told TNIE.
It is suspected that the miscreants might belong to a seven-member robber gang operating from the Bihar-Maharashtra belt.
No hesitation to open fire on robber gangs: DSP
The gang used to target trains on vulnerable stretches, especially those near highways that offer quick escape routes. The gang was suspected to be involved in train thefts near Nadikudi earlier.
A day earlier, some miscreants tampered with the railway signals to stop the Visakhapatnam-Charlapalli special express train near New Piduguralla. Later, they snatched away gold chains from two women passengers.
In another recent incident near Komali in Anantapur district, the Chengalpattu Express was halted by manipulating the signal, and a woman passenger was robbed of 27 grams of gold.
Signal tampering poses a grave threat to trains as it may lead to major mishaps. Common tampering methods include short-circuiting junction boxes, damaging circuit boards, cutting signal wires, forcing red signals, or covering signal lights with cloth to block visibility.
“Such calculated sabotage not only enables train robbery but also endangers hundreds of lives. We have intensified patrol, and enhanced vigilance, besides urging passengers to stay alert. We will not hesitate to open fire on robber gangs to ensure the safety of passengers,” the Railway DSP added.